Review of Love and Loss

Wicked Passions presents Love and Loss, a dramatic and heartbreaking tale of betrayal that is written and directed by Stormy Daniels. Life can change instantaneously and Lanie (Maddy O’Reilly) experiences this first-hand when her bad-boy boyfriend with the heart of gold, Jeremy (Brendon Miller) finds himself in the middle of a store robbery with police officers Casey Stephens (Chad White) and Alex Gables (Seth Gamble). A mistake forces Alex to make a life-changing decision that upsets his wife (AJ Applegate) and he decides to start a new life chapter. Fate intervenes and Alex meets Lanie. They begin to date and become close until Lanie discovers a shocking secret that Alex has been hiding. Can Lanie learn to forgive Alex, or is their love just another painful loss?

Scene 1: Maddy O’Reilly and BrendonMiller

Lanie (Maddy O’Reilly) tensely folds laundry as she waits for her boyfriend, Jeremy (Brendon Miller) to come home. He decides to take a shower and when she brings him clean towels, he suggests a future trip to Las Vegas to get married. Visibly uncomfortable, Lanie worries that past mistakes will come back to haunt and threaten their relationship. Jeremy promises Lanie a brighter future, and brings her into the shower for loving reassurance.

Brendon brings Maddy into the shower fully clothed and kisses her sensuously. He removes her clothes and caresses her bum, breasts and stomach while making eye contact with her. Maddy receives oral sex and then gives Brendon a blowjob. A standing position is shown next and the scene concludes in doggy-style where Brendon ejaculates on Maddy’s bum.

I enjoyed this scene and loved how Stormy captured Lanie and Jeremy’s complicated relationship with appropriate camera angles. I also liked how this scene is shot in the shower (which is always a nice change from the typical bedroom scene), as it allows viewers an intimate look at the tender, yet tense relationship dynamic of Lanie and Jeremy. The music also helps to enhance the sex, and there is a subtle on-screen chemistry between Maddy and Brendon that is enjoyable to watch.

While I liked this scene, I have three criticisms. First, the spitting and slurping noises that are made during the blowjob are a bit off-putting. Second, the smacking noises that are made during Brendon’s thrusting in the standing position are a bit loud and distracting. Third, and most noticeably, is that the sex in this scene is far too short, clocking in at less than nine minutes! This is problematic because fans of the Passions brand expect and look forward to sex that emphasizes lengthy foreplay, which is hard to achieve in such limited time constraints.
Overall, viewers will enjoy this scene because of the shower setting and how it enhances the on-screen chemistry between Maddy and Brendon.

Scene 2: AJ Applegate and Chad White

After a heated argument between Alex (Seth Gamble) and his wife (AJ Applegate), she receives a visit from Casey (Chad White) who wants to speak to Alex. Alex isn’t home, but his wife invites Casey inside where a revealing conversation (that will surprise viewers, by the way) takes place.

The sex begins with a makeout session on the couch. Chad and AJ undress each other and continue to grind and kiss passionately. AJ receives oral sex and then she gives Chad a blowjob. Cowgirl is shown next, followed by a spooning position, and the sex concludes in missionary where Chad ejaculates on AJ’s stomach and breasts.

This is my favourite sex scene in the movie, as AJ and Chad have a very hot onscreen sexual chemistry, and they make consistent eye contact with each other throughout the scene. What I like most about the sex in this scene is the length and the variety of foreplay. Stormy chooses camera angles that emphasize the playful chemistry between AJ and Chad, as well as their facial expressions during sex, which is something that I greatly appreciate when watching porn. A camera angle can make or break the sex scene for me and Stormy does a brilliant job of capturing AJ and Chad’s awesome sexual chemistry. Another camera angle that I appreciated seeing in this scene is at the end when Chad climaxes. I loved how it’s shot from overhead, so that viewers can see both AJ and Chad’s facial expressions. It’s rare to see a male’s facial expression while he ejaculates, as porn tends to put more emphasis on capturing the cum that a man releases during sex (more commonly referred to as the money shot). As a female, it’s a turn-on to see Chad’s intense facial expressions while he ejaculates, and I think other female viewers will also appreciate the camera angle that is used.

My favourite sexual position between AJ and Chad is when he performs oral sex on her. Chad takes his time with AJ and is very playful with her. I also enjoyed watching the spooning position, as Chad kisses AJ softly while he thrusts and he also plays with her clit while he kisses her and thrusts, which is very hot. I’m not normally a fan of watching blowjobs, but I actually liked watching this one because it’s not sloppy or noisy, and AJ makes awesome eye contact with Chad.

Viewers will definitely enjoy the awesome sexual chemistry between AJ and Chad. Ultimately, I have no criticisms of this scene as it truly embodies the Wicked Passions brand.

Scene 3: Penny Pax and Ramon Nomar

Lanie’s friend and co-worker, Tracey (Penny Pax) encounters a good-looking man named Michael (Ramon Nomar) at the restaurant. He comes in often hoping to meet Tracey, but she is too shy to approach him. With a little bit of help from Lanie (Maddy O’Reilly) they finally get together and have a passionate night together.

The scene begins with a cute conversation between Penny and Ramon. They kiss passionately and Penny performs a blowjob on Ramon. Penny receives oral sex next, which is followed by the spooning position. Doggy-style is shown next, followed by cowgirl and the sex concludes in missionary where Ramon ejaculates intensely on Penny’s stomach and breasts.

I really liked how the scene begins with an open conversation between Tracey and Michael where he expresses to her how much he wanted to meet her. His honesty is refreshing and I’m always happy to see these kinds of candid conversations in Passions movies because it reminds viewers how important it is to have honest, verbal communication in relationships. It’s also refreshing to see Ramon again, as I haven’t seen one of his performances in a very long time. Although I wasn’t crazy about his use of dirty talk in this scene, he makes consistent eye contact with Penny and touches and kisses her constantly throughout the variety of sexual acts that are performed (which is another aspect of the scene that viewers will like seeing). Viewers will also be turned on by Ramon’s sexy accent and Penny’s eyeglasses.

While this is a passionate scene that many viewers will enjoy, it wasn’t my cup of tea. The blowjob was too noisy and sloppy for my taste, and most of the thrusting during the various sexual acts was too aggressive for me. Ultimately, this scene lacked a softer, physical tenderness between Penny and Ramon that I was hoping for, but there are tender verbal moments in their conversation that I appreciated and thought were appropriate for a Passions movie.

Scene 4: Maddy O’Reilly and Seth Gamble

Alex (Seth Gamble) walks Lanie (Maddy O’Reilly) to her door after their date. They discuss how bad the movie is and Lanie asks for a kiss. She decides to take the plunge, and asks Alex if he’d like to come inside. He obliges enthusiastically.

The sex begins with passionate kissing and smouldering eye contact. Maddy receives oral sex, and then gives Seth a blowjob. Doggy-style is shown next, followed by cowgirl and the sex concludes in missionary where Seth ejaculates on Maddy’s chest. He then gives her a couple of soft kisses.

I really enjoyed this scene, as Maddy and Seth have a wonderful sexual chemistry on-screen. They demonstrate reciprocated eye contact and Seth is attentive to Maddy. I also enjoyed watching the blowjob, as Maddy uses techniques that are more subtle and refined. Ultimately, this is a pleasant scene to watch, and I have no criticisms.

Extras: I didn’t have a chance to see the special features of the DVD, as I watched and reviewed Love and Loss on Wicked’s awesome website: www.wicked.com.

Final Thoughts:

Full of unexpected twists and turns, Love and Loss is one of writer and director Stormy Daniels’ best works. The movie is dramatic, engaging, and heartbreaking at times, and viewers will be glued to their screens as this suspenseful, well-written and well-executed film unfolds.

The cast does a solid job in this movie and I was particularly impressed with Seth Gamble, whose performance blew me away. Seth has always been a strong actor, and what makes him so enjoyable to watch on screen is the emotion and the expression that he emotes with his soulful, blue eyes, which captivate viewers when he’s acting. His role as conflicted police officer, Alex Gables, just adds to the number of awesome acting accolades he has accumulated over his career. I would not be surprised if Seth earned an acting nomination for this role, as his authenticity and range are spot-on. Brendon Miller plays the role of Jeremy with ease and confidence, Chad White is good in his role as bad-cop, Casey, and Ramon Nomar is charming as Michael.

The ladies also do a great job with their roles. I enjoyed Maddy O’Reilly in the role of sweet and sensitive Lanie, and AJ Applegate played her deceptive role as Alex’s wife with confidence. My favourite female role in the movie was quirky and lovable Tracey, who is played effortlessly by Penny Pax. Stormy has a great knack for not only writing brilliant scripts and for providing great direction to her films, but also for her excellent casting choices.

I loved the music in this film, especially the piano selections that are heard during both the opening and end credits.

Ultimately, Love and Loss makes an excellent addition to viewers’ DVD collections, as Stormy has created yet another brilliant and dramatic masterpiece that is certainly going to impress and captivate viewers.